Estrogen: A Modern Clinical Review

Abstract

Estrogens have long been the topic of debate due to their absolute necessity in aspects of health such as behavior, CVD, fertility, cancer, cysts, respiratory diseases and more, while also presenting a potential danger if used in the wrong way at the wrong time. In addition, their label as the “female sex hormone” has made them the topic of much research, which ultimately revealed that many feminine health traits arise from the results of the hormone. The female sex characteristics are far from the only systems regulated by this paleotropic hormone, however. Research over the past couple of decades has implicated estrogen intricately in cardiovascular disease and the progression of atherosclerotic plaques, to name one. In addition, alterations in estrogens, especially estradiol, have been associated with structural changes in the brain in addition to cognitive changes in functioning for both rodents and non-human primates. As such, the wide ranging effects of estrogen cannot be overemphasized. (from Conclusion).